Milestones Toward an Authoritarian Government

[Indy]

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”

Good. I’m happy that he noticed. I expect there is some amount of “well, they aren’t coming after me” even at the SC level. When Trump goes after judges, that might get their attention.

[Maphistos_Sidekick]

@Fish_Actuary

Cash transactions of $200 (down from $10,000) or more are now reportable financial transactions in several counties bordering Mexico.

IFYP. Removing the extraneous letter makes the development more ominous.

[vjvj]

I think it’s Roberts realizing things are completely out of control and trying to rein in just this one small piece that could directly affect him before they don’t like one of his decisions.

[vjvj]

It hadn’t really dawned on me until now, but Trump may, in fact, be the one who makes him regret the decision that official Presidential acts are immune from prosecution by an official act directed at Roberts.

[The_President]

Even better if Republicans could recognize the problem is with the person they voted for and not the constitution.

[SredniVashtar]

I do think Roberts is anticipating a showdown. I think we all are.

I hope he is somehow able to make it clear that the president actually abandoning the Constitution, and that it is actually a big deal.

[Rastiln]

We’re already illegally detaining and deporting people without due process and refusing to release names of who we arrested/deported and why. How long until American citizens begin disappearing? Are we sure they haven’t already? We wouldn’t know.

Are we sure Roberts is prepared to stare down the barrel of Donald “I can legally order Seal Team Six to kill you” Trump when he arrests a judge?

[Maphistos_Sidekick]

Looks like some Minnesota politicians want to declare us to be mentally ill in the eyes of the law.

https://www.tvfandomlounge.com/republican-senators-propose-bill-to-classify-trump-derangement-syndrome-as-mental-illness/

According to the bill’s text, TDS symptoms include “Trump-induced general hysteria, which produces an inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and signs of psychic pathology in President Donald J. Trump’s behavior.” The legislators further suggest that these symptoms may manifest as intense verbal hostility and even “overt acts of aggression and violence” towards Trump and his supporters.

The co-sponsoring senators—Glenn Gruenhagen, Justin Eichorn, Nathan Wesenberg, Steve Drazkowski, and Eric Lucero—believe that incorporating TDS into the legal definition of mental illness will help address what they see as a growing political and social crisis. They argue that the term should be integrated into state statutes on mental health to better identify and manage what they describe as an epidemic of politically induced paranoia.

In addition to concerns over the misuse of psychiatric labels, some worry that the bill could have broader implications. If adopted, it might set a precedent for using mental health as a tool to silence political opposition—a move that many view as both dangerous and ethically questionable.

EDIT: Better source: https://thehill.com/homenews/5200463-trump-derangement-syndrome-mental-illness-minnesota/

[Fish_Actuary]

U.S. citizen children of illegal immigrants are already being deported. I’m not sure if families are being given the option of finding alternatives for their kids.

ETA: I’d also wonder if they’re being deported without their passports and documents which will will make it a nightmare for them to get back into the U.S. later on.

[The_Polymath]

The wheels are coming off the US when it comes to the role of the executive vs judiciary & legislative bodies.

From my perch over here in the UK, it looks like the US is headed for a serious constitutional crisis as Trump becomes increasingly erratic and starts ignoring judicial orders with even greater frequency.

The check on this might be the legislative body but Trump and his backers have neutered this.

[Indy]

@Maphistos_Sidekick

Glenn Gruenhagen, Justin Eichorn, Nathan Wesenberg, Steve Drazkowski, and Eric Lucero

Fun update today …

Minnesota senator arrested, accused of soliciting minor for prostitution

[Maphistos_Sidekick]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-democracy-report-1.7486317

[The_Polymath]

This part of the article stuck out:

What could happen next? Watch the courts, he says. Their actions, and Trump’s response, are fundamental. In the countries that halted an authoritarian slide, he said, courts played a key role, citing Poland, Brazil, North Macedonia and Zambia.

I got front row seats for the attempt by Bolsonaro in Brazil to push the country more into autocracy territory, but their Supreme Court judge saved the day. If it wasn’t for him (Moraes) Bolsonaro would have very likely succeeded.

I don’t see the Supreme Court in the US doing the same thing.

If anything, they have rubber stamped what is now happening.

[ArthurItas]

How a Push to Amend the Constitution Could Help Trump Expand Presidential Power

[Maphistos_Sidekick]

Articles of impeachment against the judge in question have been filed.

Brandon-Gill-impeachment-Boasberg

[The_Polymath]

This is from an economic intelligence outfit via the FT

If Trump ignores an SC order it could also destabilise markets.

If Trump defies a Supreme Court order, will it matter to markets?

With over 100 legal challenges filed in response to executive actions taken by the Trump Administration, perhaps it was only a matter of time before sharp tensions between the Executive and Judicial branches began to bubble up. Until this week, the Administration had by and large complied with court orders, albeit slowly and begrudgingly, including re-opening the CFPB, reinstating many fired probationary federal workers, and taking at least modest steps to pay some outstanding USAID claims.

This week, however, the Trump Administration stepped closer to the line of outright defiance, with planes carrying deportees taking off around the time a district court judge was determining the lawfulness of the deportation. The tensions in this case escalated to the point where President Trump called for the judge’s impeachment, leading Chief Justice Roberts to issue a rare public rebuke, noting that “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.” The latest set of events — combined with a series of statements made by Trump and several top DOJ nominees — suggest we are edging closer to a situation in which the Administration may openly defy a Supreme Court order.

Historically, Presidents have generally abided by Supreme Court rulings against them — even when the rulings were highly consequential. Open defiance of the Supreme Court would arguably represent uncharted constitutional territory. . . . Markets have generally been willing to tolerate signs that U.S. political and legal stability is eroding. But would a constitutional crisis have market implications? We think underlying facts of the case matter. While markets may be willing to overlook legal spats over certain subjects, if the Trump Administration defies a court order in a way that impacts meaningful government spending or undercuts the judiciary’s ability to enforce contracts or effectively mediate commercial disputes — which are foundational to the U.S. free market system — then we see higher risks of an adverse market reaction.

[Rastiln]

This will be an interesting one if it goes through, in a catastrophically bad way.

Will we see any consequences to the legislature removing judges that don’t rule in favor of The Party?

[Maphistos_Sidekick]

While it’s entirely possible that he’ll be impeached by the House for opposing the administration, there’s no way he’ll be convicted in the Senate.

If MAGA had the votes in the Senate, however… our simmering constitutional crisis would likely be on a full-blown boil.

[Rastiln]

History Professor Answers Dictator Questions | Tech Support | WIRED

This fits well here. The expert isn’t focused on America or Trump - in fact, only a little bit of the content touches on him. You’ll still see box after box checked.

[now_samantha]

Fun fact: Boasberg was appointed by Bush, named to FISC by Roberts